Nothing, we took the grandchildren out to Kelsey's in Etobicoke, tonight and it wasn't as good as the Kelsey's in Georgetown, where four of us went last Wednesday.I wish I had eaten at home as I was disappointed -the steak that the kids had -supposedly sirloin has too much fat at the sides.And.the tea I ordered with my beer battered halibut was dreadful. The water in the teapot never really had boiled and the teabag was in the empty cup. I expect this in parts of the USA where they don't know how to make tea but, not here - this is Canada!So, it is yorkshire pudding for me this weekend.

We live at a time ...characterized by a subliminal relativism that penetrates every area of life. Sometimes this relativism becomes aggressive, when it opposes those who say that they know where the truth or meaning of life is to be found. Benedict XV1.

Pondero wrote:\The water in the teapot never really had boiled and the teabag was in the empty cup. I expect this in parts of the USA where they don't know how to make tea but, not here - this is Canada!

This reminds me of my first visit to the Hamilton, Canada's Westinghouse manufacturing (small turbines) plant (back when Westinghouse was...) Even here, in the USA South, my favorite brand of brewing tea is Red Rose. At the Hamilton plant, when I ordered tea from the cafeteria--to my delight--they gave me a Red Rose tea bag, that here would be called a family, tea bag, but there? It was for one cup. That's when I learned that a true tea country is more about strength than brand.

I have to agree with Bev in that everyone here doesn't know how to make tea either.It is not rocket science.Once at a Canadian McDonalds on the 115 highway, many miles from nowhere on Route for Peterborough, Ont,my wife complained about the tea as the water was lukewarm. They replaced it and this time boiled the water.That McDonald branch improved since that time, a year or so ago.In the south where you live Bev, you have to specify what type of tea you want otherwise you get iced tea.

My grandchildren noticed the difference between Kelsey's and La Castille, last night, where we took them in previous years. James said at La Castille the waiter pushes the chair under you so you can sit down.That is not the only difference of course,there are many, one is, that he wouldn't know about is the price!Quite apart from the luxurious surroundings, the fancy chairs, tablecloths, cloth napkins, bread rolls on the table, and oil paintings on the wall there is no deafening "music" or sports TV at La Castille.And the cutlery isn't wrapped up in paper and dropped on a plastic table top!

We live at a time ...characterized by a subliminal relativism that penetrates every area of life. Sometimes this relativism becomes aggressive, when it opposes those who say that they know where the truth or meaning of life is to be found. Benedict XV1.

Eggplant rendang! My own invention, and reports will follow later tonight. The rice is on... the countdown has begun...

(The genesis for this was seeing and smelling the wonderful beef rendang my husband was ectasising over, a week or so ago, and exclaiming in fury that I did NOT see why the carnivores should get all the good sauces. So intensive shopping at the market followed -- lemongrass, galangal, coconut, tamarind, shallots, -- and at a little shop which does spices -- star anise, cardamom, cinnamon -- of course there were already ginger and garlic and chillies in the house. Couldn't find kaffir lime leaves, but... what the heck! )

That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. - Psalm 26

Yorkshire pudding, consisting of two eggs.one cup of milk + 1/3 cup of water and one cup of general purpose flour.That is enough for two.Bake in a glass oven-proof dish at 400 degrees until it rises.Add beef stew on top as gravy. Cut in two, one half for each person, (about six by eight inches). Serve as a separate dish.

We live at a time ...characterized by a subliminal relativism that penetrates every area of life. Sometimes this relativism becomes aggressive, when it opposes those who say that they know where the truth or meaning of life is to be found. Benedict XV1.

Both sound delish! I'm extra curious about the eggplant rendang. I have galangal and lemon grass currently growing in my garden. I planted them earlier in the year from portions I bought to make salmon panang. The added spices makes the dish seem a mixture of eastern and western asian cuisine, so I'm very curious about that.

I invented a dish too the other night that was inspired in part by having researched L'Aquila, Italy in the Abruzzi region, which is where my husband's maternal grandparents immigrated from around 1900. While also researching the cuisine there, I learned the red pepper is a popular addition to many traditional recipes. So, I took what I had in the pantry/fridge and made what I call Diavolicchio di Alfredo con Spinaci e Pollo (diavolicchio translates to "little devil" which is what they call their regional red chili pepper there.) Carbonara would actually make this more of an Abruzzi dish than Alfredo (and chicken), so I may try that next.

Chicken breast sliced thin cross wise (scalloped) seasoned with Emeril's Bayou Blast (salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, white pepper, mustard powder, garlic powder), chopped spinach, garlic (which I sauté together after the chicken pieces are lightly browned.) Here, I also cheated by adding Mario Batali's jarred Alfredo sauce. (His ingredients are cream, butter, roasted garlic, parmigiano reggiano, white vermouth.) Then, once the sauce heats up, I added red pepper flakes to taste. Toss with pasta cooked el dente (I used bowtie pasta.) The red pepper flakes really made a big difference more by in how it enhanced the flavors of the dish while also adding a little bite to it. It was delicious, and it is now in my collection of recipes.

I didn't ever get around to reporting ont he eggplant rendang! in short -- the rendang part was good, but the eggplant was a little too mild to sustain it (in texture as much as taste). The search for the perfect vegetable rendang goes on!

That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. - Psalm 26

Yummy mashed roast pumpkin and chick peas seasoned with a smidgen of Harissa, with lightly cooked cauliflower, broccoli and snow peas, and sprinkled with toasted sunflower seeds ground in a mortar and pestle. I'm intending to get into making dukkah. http://makebread.com.au/homemade-dukkah-recipe/